Parish Newsletter FALL 2016

Transcription

1 St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church Parish Newsletter FALL 2016 Fr. Shiju Thuruthiyil, OSH Pastor Fr. Ildefonce Mapara, OSB In residence Dr. Paul Hillyer Deacon Julie Kraan Office Manager Mary Holder Dir. Religious Education Dir. Youth Ministry Deb Scaravilli Dir Music Jennifer Snoozy Fertility Care Practitioner Nevin Smith Maintenance office@piusxkf.com Web Site: Phone: (541) Bristol Avenue Klamath Falls, OR Newsletter Editor Benjamin (Ben) Quen bquen01@gmail.com (541) Volume 2016 Fall Issue October 2016 I am so excited that I have completed two years of being part of this great parish. I love the words of Saint Augustine speaking to his flock more than 1600 years ago: "For you I am your bishop. With you I am your brother!" To modify that a bit, "For you I am your priest and pastor. With you I am your brother." The "brother" part is so important to me because we are all walking this journey of faith together. The great metaphysical poet, John Donne, once wrote, "No man is an island" and how true that is! We are all in this wonderful adventure we call Church together and we need to be there for one another. That means that we respect one another, listen to one another, support one another, laugh with one another, and weep with one another! I hope the times of laughter are many; the times of sorrow few; but the times of love and forgiveness always! I think October is my favorite month of the year for lots of different reasons: the cooler weather, the fall leaves, and the heat of summer is over and the icy cold hasn't yet arrived. We really are blessed here in Klamath Falls with the changing of the seasons. What we observe in nature is a unique reminder of what we observe in our lives. As we look at the beautiful leaves this Fall in all their glory, they might remind us of our lives and we may wistfully say, "All this too shall pass." But never forget the glory of being human and being alive on this one small planet in God's big and beautiful universe! In Christ Fr. Shiju Thuruthiyil OSH Vision Statement To increase the disciples of Jesus Christ within our parish and community.

2 Page 2 Parish Newsletter New Ministry Opportunity: The Parish Strategic Plan has many different goals and objectives, all of which are designed to Increase the disciples of Jesus Christ within our parish and community. One Goal in particular, Stewardship is designed to provide more opportunities for us to share our time, talent and treasure by creating new ministries that serve the needs of the Parish. We re excited to announce a new ministry called No One Lives Alone. Background In recent times people of our parish who live alone have been struck with medical issues without anyone aware of the situation. This could be a fall, a stroke, or heart attack. While the incident may cause immediate death, other times the person could have suffered less had medical intervention been provided in a timely fashion. In one situation, there were at least three indications that something may be wrong with the person and no contact was attempted. A great number of our parishioners may benefit from this ministry. This ministry, No One Lives Alone (NOLA) is a process where we, the parishioners of St. Pius X, can be in a position to identify a potential situation and alert help if needed. No One Lives Alone (NOLA) is a ministry in which we watch over certain, at risk, parishioner s activities and perform a Welfare Check if the pattern changes. For example, a parishioner who regularly attends daily mass; if they are not in attendance, we should reach out to them to ensure they are okay. Would you like to be part of this vital ministry? Do you know a parishioner that would like someone looking out for them? Would you like someone looking out for you? If the answer is yes, please contact; Parish office (541) Or Ben Quen (541) or bquen01@gmail.com

3 Volume 2016 Fall Issue Parish Updates You may have noticed in August work being performed on the Rectory and garage roofs; the roofs were in great need of replacement. The roofs were leaking and the eves were showing some signs of dry rot. Your weekly contributions allows for the maintenance required to keep our buildings and grounds well maintained and beautiful. Page 3 Mass Times Saturday Vigil 5:00 pm Sunday 9:00 am Daily (Mon-Fri) 8:30 am (Check bulletin for exceptions) Other Times Reconciliation Saturday 3:00 pm 4:00 pm or by appointment ( ) Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 1st Friday of the Month 9:05 am 5:00 pm Office Hours Monday Friday 9:00 am 4:00 pm We are in the process of upgrading our Sound System in the main church. All of the upgrades to the system should be in place within the next month. We understand audibility is a concern and frustrating, especially when the Celebrant, Deacon and the lectors are speaking. We hope these changes will make vast improvements with clarity and greater sound. Thank you for your patience. This is your parish, if you observe a concern please bring it to our attention.

4 Page 4 Parish Newsletter Abortion Facts & Educating our Youth Education of Respect Life begins at home. Teaching our children, the next generation, about how to respect life from conception to natural death is vital. One may feel that their child is too young to understand or the subject may be too graphic for conversation but it is crucial for our children to learn the Catholic Teaching & Truth from their parents rather than what they may be taught by their peers or at school with no Godly perspective. Our children can defend life and be advocates for Respect Life at a very young age. Every time an innocent person s life is willfully destroyed, our country loses a little more of its soul. However, by educating our children and voting for officials that will work to protect the unborn, we can end this human devastation. Please view age appropriate material in regards to catholic teaching for Pre K thru college age at Archdiocese of St. Louis. Planned Parenthood: The Nation s Largest Provider of Abortion Planned Parenthood s newest (2014) annual report, released in December 2015, shows the number of abortions done at its centers fell from 327,653 to 323,999, but a representative of a national pro-life group says the numbers still make Planned Parenthood the largest abortion business in the nation, by far. While Planned Parenthood saw fewer patients and delivered fewer services, government grants and reimbursements to the organization rose from $528.4 million to $553.7 million a 4.8 percent increase. As of 2015, nearly 59 million children have been aborted since Roe/Doe. Approximately 1.2 million children are aborted every year. Every year, more children die from abortion than Americans died in the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, the Korean, Vietnam, Gulf and Iraq wars combined. Half of all abortions are obtained by women who have already had at least one abortion. What Are the Most Common Reasons for Women Choosing Abortion? Feel they are not ready for another child/timing is wrong 25% Feels she can t afford baby 23% Finished with childbearing/children are grown 19% Fear of being a single mother 8% Feels she isn t mature enough 7% Physical/Health problems 4% Feels child would interfere with future plans 4% Possible health problems affecting the fetus 3% Victim of rape.5% Other 6%

5 Volume 2016 Fall Issue Page 5 Pope Benedict XVI writes in Caritas in Veritate... that "The Church forcefully maintains this link between life ethics and social ethics, fully aware that a society lacks solid foundations when, on the one hand, it asserts values such as the dignity of the person, justice and peace, but then, on the other hand, radically acts to the contrary by allowing or tolerating a variety of ways in which human life is devalued and violated, especially where it is weak or marginalized.'" (no. 15). God, our Father, we thank You for the gift of love and the gift of life. We thank you for the gift of our children. We ask You to send Your holy angels to protect and guide them each day so that they will walk the narrow path of purity, selfcontrol and obedience, as was taught to us by Your own Son, Jesus Christ. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen. Jeremiah 1:5 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. Sources: PROJECT FAMILY CONNECT The 2016 Project Family Connect (PFC) was the largest event to date! The diaper and baby supply drive provided a number of families with needed baby supplies. More than 20 boxes of diapers alone were gathered from St Pius X. The parishioners of St Pius X also donated wipes, blankets, clothes, two crib mattresses, and a beautiful basket which was raffled off. 942 individuals from Klamath Falls and surrounding communities attended PFC. Including 441 families, 160 truly homeless individuals, 59 Veterans, 79 individuals with no income and 873 meals served. Tammara Moran, a new Mom with an eight week baby girl, won the beautiful basket which had diapers, blankets, food, and other baby supplies. A young single Mom with two small children fleeing a violent relationship was able to use both crib mattresses as she was moving to her own safe home. Klamath & Lake Community Action Services are very thankful for the assistance provided by St Pius X through the donations and the individuals who volunteered at the event. We hope to see you again for the 10th annual PFC in July 2017!

6 Page 6 Parish Newsletter St. Maurus Hanga Abbey Update I want to thank all of you for your support of the mission work in southern Tanzania which is supervised by St. Maurus Hanga Abbey. Many projects have been accomplished because of your financial support. Currently the Abbey is seeking funds for: The construction of a hall/kitchen at Hanga Health Center Cement to continue construction of water tanks for villages. With the completion of the Surgery Unit at the Hanga Health Center in 2015, the number of patients and expectant mothers has increased tremendously. The Health Center serves a rural population of about 40,000 people. The Blood Bank at the Surgery Unit serves many women in labor as well as anemic people, especially children. The anemic condition is caused by the Malaria parasite that attacks white blood cells. Many expectant mothers come to the Health Center a few days before their delivery date. Those who are admitted into the Health Center must cook their own meals. Therefore, expectant mothers, family and friends prepare & provide meals for those who are admitted into the Health Center. Currently people cook on the open grounds by the Health Center. There is a need for charcoal stoves and shelter so they can be protected from the heat of the sun and rain. Br. Lucius, the head of the Center, is seeking funds to build the hall/kitchen for proper shelter and to purchase charcoal stoves; (costs $12 per piece). The Clean Water Project to serve 15,000 people from five villages continues. Villagers in one village already have their reservoir tank built and are enjoying clean water. We are still in need of cement to build reservoir tanks for other villages; ($25 per 150kg of cement). Thanks to all of you for your generosity to serve those in need. When I was thirsty you gave me a drink. Mt. 25:35

7 Volume 2016 Fall Issue Page 7 Catholic Daughters of the Americas With Fall among us, the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. Pius X have begun their meetings with new leadership and new ideas for the coming year. New officers include: Deb Scaravilli, Vice Regent, Teri Pang, Recording Secretary, Theresa Foeller, Treasurer and continuing on as Financial Secretary Jan Bos and Kathy Pence as Regent. Some of the events planned are luncheon meetings, evening meetings and meetings offsite for lunch. We have several very interesting and informative speakers lined up for our fall and winter meetings, ie. 40 Days for Life, Exodus House Representative, and Julie Kraan regarding Annulment Process. October is a busy month: We host a Bake Sale to support High School Senior Scholarship, Sunday, October 2 nd after mass. October 16 th, CDA Sunday, celebrating with Court Klamath at breakfast. October 29 and 30 is the White Ribbon Project White Ribbons Against Pornography. As always we invite all women of the parish to join us at our meetings to see what we are about and consider becoming a Catholic Daughter of the Americas. Our meetings are held monthly on the 2 nd Tuesday, at 11:30, in the Parish Hall Community Room unless announced otherwise. Business meetings from 11:30 to Noon, followed by Lunch/speaker. THE GOLDEN GIRLS were founded by Father Patrick Lunham and Sharon Roberts about thirty five years ago. We helped anyone with handcrafts but with our age, we don t do much of that anymore. When the group was younger we made bibs for nursing homes, quilts for newborns through the Pregnancy Crisis Center and various other charitable things. Now the ladies usually just have coffee and a sweet or two and talk. One Tuesday of the month is dedicated to celebrating birthdays for that month and another Tuesday we have breakfast out. The Golden Girls used to have Pot-Lucks at the end of the month but we decided we no longer like to cook much and have changed to having breakfast out the last Tuesday of the month right after mass. One of our members, Marlis McRunnels, has moved to Marysville, California. The organization is open to all women of the parish for socialization and comradeship. We meet weekly at 9:00 am after the Tuesday morning Mass in the Community Room. Opportunity to Grow in Your Faith The Bible is an essential component of the Catholic faith. Catholics wrote the books in the New Testament, canonized the Bible based on her beliefs, and have used it for the past 2000 years in both the liturgy as well as for a foundation of our faith. Since the Bible is so important, half of the mass is devoted to proclaiming readings from the Bible. As a result, every Catholic should know the Bible. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states in paragraph 133: The Church forcefully and specifically exhorts all the Christian faithful to learn the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ, by frequent reading of the divine Scriptures. Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ. How well do you know the Bible? Do you know the major people, events, and covenants in the Bible? Do you know that the essential foundation of our Catholic faith is in the Bible? If you would like to learn more about the Bible, please come to the Thursday Adult Bible Study Class. This class will explore only 14 books in the Bible where we will chronologically learn about the people, events, and covenants that were part of salvation history. The class is held from 6:30 to 8 pm in the parish hall on Thursdays. Even if you cannot attend every class, you will still learn more about the Bible so your Catholic faith will be enhanced. Are you willing to grow in your knowledge of the Bible?

8 Page 8 Parish Newsletter In July, 29 youth and 6 chaperones attended the 2016 Steubenville Northwest Conference in Spokane, WA. What Is Steubenville NW? Steubenville NW is a high-energy youth conference where more than fourteen hundred teens are invited to encounter Jesus Christ through dynamic speakers, engaging music, the Sacraments, small group discussions, and fellowship with other teens. The conferences are an outreach of Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. This NW conference is held every year in July and for the past 40 years high school youth from across the United States have had their faith awakened and their hearts set on fire through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. This summer, over 54,000 teens and their leaders participated in this movement of grace at one of the 25 conferences. Our group gathered at the parish and traveled by bus to Spokane and stayed in the dorms at Gonzaga University. Prior to the conference, the youth spend one day at Silverwood Theme Park. The park opens its gates one hour early for those attending the conference. Close to 400 Catholic Youth and their chaperones spent the day together at the park. This year the conference was amazing as always. The theme was THIRST Romans 5:8 God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. The youth were reminded that Jesus loves us no matter what, that we didn t do anything to earn His love and there is nothing we can do to make His love for us end. If you are interested in viewing any of the presentations from the conference, they are available at Thank you once again to all of the parishioners for supporting our fundraising efforts throughout the year which make this trip possible.

9 Volume 2016 Fall Issue Page 9 Vocations We at St. Pius X Parish in Klamath Falls, Oregon are so blessed that a family member of one of our parish families received the habit of the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist on July 28, 2016! Dan Kugler s niece, Sister Savana is 20 years old and the daughter of James and Kathleen Plunkett. She hails from Temecula California, and attended St. Marthas Catholic Church in Murrieta California. To help our children (who have written to and prayed for Sr. Savana all year) understand what all of that means and as part of our ongoing vocations awareness effort, our Vocations Committee engaged a few of our high school youth to enact an Investing Ceremony-Prayer Service. They led our Vacation Bible School participants in prayer and celebration on June 28th in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of our Church. A message sent from Sister Teresa Marie: Dear St. Pius X Parishioners, Thank you so very much for the prayer service you said in honor of my reception to the habit. How great it is that the children involved were able to witness part of the beauty of living religious life! I am so grateful for all your prayers and for the thoughtful pictures the vacation Bible School kids sent me! Know of my continued prayers for you and your parish ministry. May our Lady keep your safely tucked under her Mantle. In Jesus and Mary, Sister Teresa Marie. God bless Sr. Savana, she entered the postulancy with the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of The Eucharist in Ann Arbor Michigan in August She made her 1st vows and received her Novice Habit on July 28, 2016 Sister Savana Sister Teresa Marie

10 Page 10 Parish Newsletter This section of the newsletter continues with questions frequently asked by both Catholics and non-catholics about our faith. Knowing the answers will help you to grow in your faith. Why do Catholics use Incense during Mass? Incense and the smoke of burning incense have been offered as gifts to God and to others since ancient times. In a more practical visual sense as the fragrant smoke ascends it also symbolizes our prayers rising to heaven. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) has this to say about the use of incense: The bread and wine are placed on the altar by the priest to the accompaniment of the prescribed formulas. The priest may incense the gifts placed upon the altar and then incense the cross and the altar itself, so as to signify the Church s offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God. Next, the priest, because of his sacred ministry, and the people, by reason of their baptismal dignity, may be incensed by the deacon or another minister. Why do Catholics use Altar Candles during Mass? At least two candles are to be used at every celebration of the Eucharist, as a sign of reverence, and also as a sign of festiveness. According to St. Jerome, candles are symbols of joy. Traditionally, to be worthy of use on or near the altar, candles must contain more than 50 percent pure beeswax. Altar candles must provide a living flame without being noxious or smoky. Candles used in worship or prayers are known as Sacramentals. They are objects blessed or set aside by the Church as special symbols to encourage attitudes and actions of reverence that prepare us to petition for and receive grace, such as the grace received from the Eucharist. From scripture we learn that the oil used in oil lamps at the time of Christ represented the Holy Spirit. The flame of candles has also come to represent Christ, the Light of the World. Because Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father are inseparable, it follows that sacramental candles also represent the presence of the Trinity among us. Who are the Men who serve at every Mass? Those men are Instituted Acolytes. In 1972, Pope Paul VI revised several ministries and minor clerical orders. One ministry that was preserved was the ministry of the instituted acolyte. While the term acolyte is at times used when referring to young men and women who assist at the altar (altar servers), the ministry of instituted acolyte is a permanent institution. Because the ministry has its roots in the formation of ordained clergy, the ministry is reserved to men. The instituted acolyte is appointed to assist the deacon and serve the priest in the celebration of the liturgy. He is an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion serving only when sufficient ordinary ministers are not available. Instituted acolytes, as necessary, may also assist with the formation of other ministers who assist at the altar. Because these ministers are dedicated to service at the altar, they should strive to learn all they can about public divine worship and strive to grasp its inner spiritual meaning. A primary responsibility is to assist with the purification of vessels used in the distribution of Holy Communion. Why do Catholics light votive candles in Church? A person can only pray for so long. Lighting a candle serves to prolong that prayer beyond our presence in the Church. The candle remains behind and symbolizes the desire for the prayer to continue. So when we light candles in prayer, our intentions remain present even when we are gone. Next time you pass a candle rack, help prolong others prayers by offering on for the intentions of the people who lit them.

11 The following parishioners and loved ones of St. Pius X passed away in the third quarter of Let us continue to pray for their souls. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord 2 Corinthians 5:8 Jeffery McCauley Cheyne Bruce Ernest Fields Beverly Lucille Howell Keith Albert Castel Barbara Coffey Erodita Canasa Adkins Theresa Josephine MacPhee The Family Luau Dinner held on Sunday, August 7, 2016, was a huge success! Thank you to all who supported this fundraiser for Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery. The dinner tickets Sold Out! We could have sold more but were constrained by the capacity of the Parish Hall. Deb Scaravilli, Ipo Ross and others transformed the Parish Hall into a Hawaiian theme. The entertainment for the evening continued as Hawaiian theme. The meal was provided by North Shore Hawaiian and as always, was enjoyed by all. If anyone went home hungry, it was their own fault. We had almost 90 items in our silent auction room The diversity of items satisfied the different interest of the bidders. We had 9 oral auction items that were auctioned off by Dakota Hudgens, a local auctioneer. Father Shiju even did the Hula for the Holy Hula auction. The monies raised will be applied to continue work on the chapel. Watch for information on our 2017 Family Luau Dinner.

12 St. Pius X Catholic Church Mission Statement St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church, within the Diocese of Baker, is a community of Catholic Christians who are united by God, formed by the gospels, strengthened by the sacraments and the liturgy as well as the teachings of the Catholic Church. We are committed to evangelization and education. We encourage a greater commitment to love and follow Christ, by living out the Catholic faith and to promote peace and justice in our parish, our community, and our world. Guided by the Holy Spirit, we pledge ourselves to pursue this mission through participation in the liturgical, sacramental, educational, and social ministries of the Church.